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Q+A With Duke Football: Jake Bobo
10/5/2021 6:34:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – The Voice of the Blue Devils, David Shumate, sat down with senior Jake Bobo for a brief question and answer session.
DS: You're another one of the Massachusetts natives who have made their way to Durham, although you're one of the few that didn't go into the tight end room when you got here. What is it about this connection? Is it about getting out of the cold weather? Getting further south? What is it?
JB: Well for me it was definitely about getting out of those winters, no doubt about it. Seriously, I'm not really sure. I saw Noah Gray the year before me come on down here. Thankfully I got the opportunity to do so as well. Matt Smith has had success so far in his career here, Cole Finney as well — he had a great catch against Charlotte. To be fair, I was also on the cusp of being a tight end. Thankfully I didn't since it has worked out well at wide receiver, but it wouldn't have been a bad path to have taken.
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DS: Is it fair to assume you're a Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics fan?
JB: Yeah, yeah. Not the biggest Boston sports fan growing up, but I think as you move away you have to definitely take pride in the success that town has had. It's definitely something that I'm jawing about with these guys from Atlanta, Dallas and New York especially. I definitely take pride in the greatest sports city in the world!Â
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DS: So much of your time here at Duke when you're not in the classroom is spent either at the Yoh Football Center, or down here in the practice facility. When you're not playing football though, take us behind the scenes. What are some of the other things you get into?
JB: Alright, recently I have been a big PlayStation guy. Don't tell my mom that (laughing). I'm a big MLB The Show guy. I'm a big FIFA guy. I'll probably beat anybody on this team in both of those games. I've caught a little flack recently because I'm not as good at the military type games like Call of Duty. I'll get my tail kicked a little bit by these guys in those. But nobody can really beat me in FIFA or MLB The Show. Madden, it gets a little dicey, but I'm dominant in those other two.
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DS: I take your point that it's not competitive, but who can at least challenge you?
JB: Hmmm, Nate Thompson is a pretty good MLB The Show player. Malik Bowen-Sims is a solid FIFA player. I'm not really sure, to be honest with you. There's not a whole lot of guys in here that can run with me on the sticks when it comes to those two games.
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DS: Alright, back to football and David Cutcliffe. It feels like every other week he is going into a hall of fame somewhere, but you get to know him as a person beyond just the football coach. What has it been like to work with him the last few years?
JB: It's special. Obviously, he's a great coach but that's why he gets the recognition that he does because it goes both ways. He's an elite coach, knows the game better than anybody I've ever been around, and is obviously very experienced. But then he's also a great man and a great mentor off the field. I think that's a big piece of why he is going into hall of fames all across college football — people recognize his unique ability as a coach and the man that he is as well. He's a role model, whether that's being a husband, a sibling or a father especially. He's somebody you can look to as a model for how to live your life.
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DS: I'll let you go with a tactical question. I don't know if you know the stats, but most of your catches have been for a first down, and if not that then a touchdown. It feels like you live along the sideline. I remember the play at N.C. State a year ago where you made a spectacular grab in a pivotal moment. Take us through what goes into managing the boundary, knowing down-and-distance and making those big plays.
JB: Our offense is geared to be able to make plays on the outside and I think as an outside receiver that should be your domain, from the numbers to the sideline. That's something you have to take pride in. You have to be especially physical over there with some of the defensive backs in this league who are big and strong. The other thing we have is guys who can really stretch the field, whether that's on the other side or in the middle with Jalon (Calhoun). Guys that can go down the field and make big-time chunk plays, and I've kind of found my niche as the guy that's there when we need a first down — someone who can get us 10 or 15 when we need it in a critical spot.
Â
#GoDuke
DS: You're another one of the Massachusetts natives who have made their way to Durham, although you're one of the few that didn't go into the tight end room when you got here. What is it about this connection? Is it about getting out of the cold weather? Getting further south? What is it?
JB: Well for me it was definitely about getting out of those winters, no doubt about it. Seriously, I'm not really sure. I saw Noah Gray the year before me come on down here. Thankfully I got the opportunity to do so as well. Matt Smith has had success so far in his career here, Cole Finney as well — he had a great catch against Charlotte. To be fair, I was also on the cusp of being a tight end. Thankfully I didn't since it has worked out well at wide receiver, but it wouldn't have been a bad path to have taken.
Â
DS: Is it fair to assume you're a Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics fan?
JB: Yeah, yeah. Not the biggest Boston sports fan growing up, but I think as you move away you have to definitely take pride in the success that town has had. It's definitely something that I'm jawing about with these guys from Atlanta, Dallas and New York especially. I definitely take pride in the greatest sports city in the world!Â
Â
DS: So much of your time here at Duke when you're not in the classroom is spent either at the Yoh Football Center, or down here in the practice facility. When you're not playing football though, take us behind the scenes. What are some of the other things you get into?
JB: Alright, recently I have been a big PlayStation guy. Don't tell my mom that (laughing). I'm a big MLB The Show guy. I'm a big FIFA guy. I'll probably beat anybody on this team in both of those games. I've caught a little flack recently because I'm not as good at the military type games like Call of Duty. I'll get my tail kicked a little bit by these guys in those. But nobody can really beat me in FIFA or MLB The Show. Madden, it gets a little dicey, but I'm dominant in those other two.
Â
DS: I take your point that it's not competitive, but who can at least challenge you?
JB: Hmmm, Nate Thompson is a pretty good MLB The Show player. Malik Bowen-Sims is a solid FIFA player. I'm not really sure, to be honest with you. There's not a whole lot of guys in here that can run with me on the sticks when it comes to those two games.
Â
DS: Alright, back to football and David Cutcliffe. It feels like every other week he is going into a hall of fame somewhere, but you get to know him as a person beyond just the football coach. What has it been like to work with him the last few years?
JB: It's special. Obviously, he's a great coach but that's why he gets the recognition that he does because it goes both ways. He's an elite coach, knows the game better than anybody I've ever been around, and is obviously very experienced. But then he's also a great man and a great mentor off the field. I think that's a big piece of why he is going into hall of fames all across college football — people recognize his unique ability as a coach and the man that he is as well. He's a role model, whether that's being a husband, a sibling or a father especially. He's somebody you can look to as a model for how to live your life.
Â
DS: I'll let you go with a tactical question. I don't know if you know the stats, but most of your catches have been for a first down, and if not that then a touchdown. It feels like you live along the sideline. I remember the play at N.C. State a year ago where you made a spectacular grab in a pivotal moment. Take us through what goes into managing the boundary, knowing down-and-distance and making those big plays.
JB: Our offense is geared to be able to make plays on the outside and I think as an outside receiver that should be your domain, from the numbers to the sideline. That's something you have to take pride in. You have to be especially physical over there with some of the defensive backs in this league who are big and strong. The other thing we have is guys who can really stretch the field, whether that's on the other side or in the middle with Jalon (Calhoun). Guys that can go down the field and make big-time chunk plays, and I've kind of found my niche as the guy that's there when we need a first down — someone who can get us 10 or 15 when we need it in a critical spot.
Â
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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